Friday, June 1, 2012

Go Wherever You Grow

Where to go next? Gutter daisy has some advice.

Where to go next, and how to go? In a land of choice and opportunity, where the sky's the limit, what's the right choice? When you are at point A, how do you choose the best point B, to make the next move? And how should you get there?

These were the questions on my mind when I came across this rather remarkable little cluster of daisies growing in a rather remarkable little niche, a crack in the pavement next to a drain. On a side note, there aren't many street drains in the Phoenix area, some streets that are flood-prone, or part of a flash flood drainage scheme have them, but they are less common than in places where it rains more often.

Growth in an provisional place, reminded me of those bristlecone pines that live 5000 years on mountaintops

Between the yards and the street, in a crack next to a storm drain, would not seem like a popular location, kind of in the same zone where cyclists often ride by the way, but this plant seems to have done just fine here. Drinking up sunshine, feeding bees, spreading and gathering pollen, converting sunshine water and CO2 into plant food.

Where to do next? This plant gave me one answer: go wherever you grow. Just know that, when you first look at the place, it may not appear to be a growth location, its potential may not be easily recognized, but that may just make it such a good choice. Passed over by many others, overlooked by those seeking the obvious, the next place for growth may just be that thin, risky zone of hidden potential.

How do you find it, and how do you know? You have to be looking, you have to be seeking, you have to be open to seeing it.

And how to get there? Since what I just described is an open, seeking journey that might take some time, it should be a method of travel which makes you happy, one which is not aggravating, expensive, isolating, and causes you to whoosh past opportunities without offering the opportunity to pause and consider them. Hmmm, some possible transport suggestions come to mind...

My eyes and mind are open for new places, new opportunities for learning and growth, perhaps ones which have been overlooked, or are too provisional, for those just looking for obvious, broad green fields to ploop down on to slurp up food, to take it easy. Thank you, gutter daisy, for a bit of perspective on that.

Thank you for this insightful commentary. It's a reminder to slow down and think about what one is doing in life and the transit journey. It's good to know that at least one other soul has these mental explorations while on the road, John.

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Let's Just Ride

I commute by bicycle in Phoenix, Arizona, a metropolis suited to riding bicycles of all types, with weather, mountains, roads, canals, and paths to keep me forever spinning. My favorite bike tools are an open mind, creative engagement, curiosity, compassion, common ground, and the search for knowledge.

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